Minor fire at SSKM, doused in 12 minutes

A slight electrical fire broke out at state run IPGMER and SSKM Hospital in Tuesday evening. Two fire tenders which have been permanently posted at the hospital premises doused the flame within 12 minutes.

“A momentary false flash was seen coming out from the electric box in the Woodburn ward of the hospital. Our fire fighters managed the situation within 12 minutes,” said a fire brigade officer. The staff and the doctors at Woodburn ward saw the spark at around 5:58 pm. They soon informed the authority and called up the fire brigade officials. The fire fighters took almost no time to start their work.

The flames were put out at 6.10 pm by a combined team of the fire brigade, local police and officials of the CESC, an officer said. “There are no reports of any human injury or casualty,” he said. On November 21, a fire had broken out inside a library on the sixth floor of Ronald Ross Building within the hospital complex, which was doused after 19 fire tenders battled for an hour. But the authority managed to evacuate all 70 patients from that portion of the hospital. IPGMER and SSKM is the main referral hospital of the state. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed the spot that time. 

Way back in 1707, the first hospital in Kolkata was built in the premises of the Old Fort at Gerstein Place. The Council of Fort William constructed this hospital. This hospital, initially built for the Europeans, was then known as Presidency General Hospital. As the time passes, SSKM has become one among the best government-run hospital.

“We are not scared. We know that the Chief Minister has taken several measures to ensure the fire safety of this hospital,” some patients said.